What Guardians of the Galaxy Would Look Like as a DC Movie

As fans get ready for the highly-anticipated sequel Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, many are revisiting the original 2014 blockbuster that started it all. A new fan trailer has surfaced that puts a much different spin on this unique superhero movie, envisioning what the colorful Marvel adventure may have looked like as a DC Comics adaptation. All it takes, apparently, is the selection of some creepy music, and the right scenes that take all of the heart and humor out of Guardians of the Galaxy, which is now painted as a much more dreary outing.

This video was created by YouTube channel Exploring the Internet, which uses the song "Bughuul" from a group known as Reptilium, a rather dark heavy metal track that was inspired by the horror movie Sinister. This song sets the proper tone for the video, which begins with a young Peter Quill watching his mother die, before he runs out of the hospital and is promptly snatched up by a spaceship belonging to Yondu (Michael Rooker). We also get a glimpse at Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) as he prepares to dispatch his latest victim in quite the brutal fashion.

While this video is crafted as a trailer, it doesn't necessarily function in the same way as a trailer, since there is very little actual dialogue here. The video merely functions as a collection of scenes strung together that showcase the "dark" side of this lighthearted superhero adventure, and it doesn't necessarily give us a clear grasp of the story like a trailer is supposed to. Regardless, it's interesting to see how the use of the right music, while cutting together the right scenes can showcase an incredibly dark tone that is not evocative of the movie whatsoever.

Before Guardians of the Galaxy hit theaters, the movie was predicted by many as Marvel's first failure in their Marvel Cinematic Universe lineup. These characters were among the most obscure that Marvel had put on the big screen to date, and many didn't think audiences would respond to these intergalactic miscreants. The movie ended up earning $333.1 million domestically, which was the third-highest grossing movie of 2014, just behind The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 ($337.1 million) and American Sniper ($350.1 million), while earning $773.3 million worldwide from a $150 million budget. It also spawned the highly-anticipated Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which hits theaters on May 5.

As for Warner Bros. and DC, the first two films of their DCEU lineup fared well financially, but not as well with critics. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($330.6 million domestic, $873.2 million worldwide) and Suicide Squad ($325.1 million domestic, $745.6 million worldwide) were both trashed by critics, particularly for the studio's now-infamous "no-jokes" policy, which has reportedly been altered in response to the reactions from critics and fans alike. The upcoming Justice League is said to be much more lighthearted than its predecessors, which could help the DCEU get back on the right track and become more competitive with Marvel. Take a look at this fan trailer that shows what Guardians of the Galaxy would have looked like as a DC movie.